What is the National Care Service?
The National Care Service (NCS) aims to improve community health and social care support in Scotland.
The National Care Service (Scotland) bill was introduced in June 2022. In its original form, it proposed allowing Scottish Ministers to transfer social care responsibility from local authorities to a new, national service. This could include adult and children’s services, as well as areas such as justice and social work. Scottish Ministers would also be able to transfer healthcare functions from the NHS to the National Care Service.
Throughout an extended Stage 1 period, there has been consultation and co-design with key stakeholders, including people who are supported, their families and support providers. The intention was to hear the views and experiences of these stakeholders and to use this to develop and strengthen the proposals.
During this time, it was agreed in the Verity House Agreement that overall legal accountability for the NCS will be shared between the Scottish Government, local government and the NHS. This means that staff will continue to be employed by local authorities, and local authorities will continue to be responsible for delivering services.
The first debate in the Scottish Parliament on the National Care Service took place on the 29th February 2024.
How is Carr Gomm influencing the National Care Service?
Carr Gomm has been actively contributing to the development of the NCS to ensure that the experience and insights of Carr Gomm and people who we support are heard.
We call for the NCS to:
· Recognise the positive impact of excellent person-centred support provided by Carr Gomm.
· Support equal recognition and reward for all social care workers, regardless of employer.
· Pause all competitive tendering; explore collaborative and ethical commissioning approaches; and ensure SDS is a real option for all eligible citizens.
There are several ways Carr Gomm is influencing good change through the NCS:
Carr Gomm’s Involvement Group:
The Involvement Group is made up of people supported by Carr Gomm. At their monthly meetings, they have been discussing how a National Care Service could improve how people access, live and thrive with social care support. They have contributed to regional co-design sessions and national consultations and met with civil servants and MSPs.
MSP Visits
Carr Gomm welcomed MSPs from across Scotland to Carr Gomm’s services. They heard about the impact Carr Gomm has in their constituency area. We shared with them how Carr Gomm and the people we support are not broken, as people are enabled to live their best possible lives with our support. In 2023, Carr Gomm received visits from 7 MSPs from various political parties, including the First Minister.
- The First Minister visits our Glasgow Office
- Jeremy Balfour MSP meets our Edinburgh & Lothians services
- Gillian MacKay MSP visits Carr Gomm’s Falkirk Service
- Welcoming Carol Mochan MSP to our Borders Service
- Michael Matheson MSP visits Falkirk Service
- Jenni Minto visits Dunoon service
- Sandesh Gulhane visits Glasgow service
CCPS #4StepstoFairWorkCampaign
Carr Gomm has been involved in the Coalition of Care Providers Scotland (CCPS) #4StepstoFairWorkCampaign, recognising that many of the ambitions of the National Care Service should be brought forward earlier.
Read Deputy Chief Executive, Andrew’s blog on the #4StepstoFairWork
#ValueSocialCare Campaign
In the lead-up to the National Care Service parliamentary discussion, we launched our #ValueSocialCare Campaign. The aim of the campaign is to highlight the importance of social care, its positive impact on people’s lives and how essential it is to thousands of people across Scotland.
Watch the video below to hear people supported in Forth Valley share their favourite things about Carr Gomm, and check out more content from our #ValueSocialCare Campaign.
Scottish Parliamentary Debate
On the 29th of February, 2024, stage 1 of the National Care Service (Scotland) Bill was passed in Parliament. The Bill will now move into Stage 2, where amendments will be considered by the Health, Social Care and Sport Committee before Stage 3, when the full Parliament will have a final vote on whether to pass the Bill.
Watch the video to see the full debate.
Ministerial Statement
On the 21st of November, 2024, Maree Todd, Social Care Minister, announced there would be a delay to the next stages of the National Care Service (NCS) Bill.
Watch the video to hear Maree Todd’s full statement.
Influencing Change blog
Read our Influencing Change blog below to hear more about what Carr Gomm is doing to shape the National Care Service.
For more about how Carr Gomm influences change, click here.
Our statement on the Programme for Government
We welcome the First Minister’s commitment in the Programme For Government to raise the adult social care wage to £12 per hour in April 2024. However, we are disappointed and angry as this announcement has not gone far enough. Staff in Carr Gomm and across the sector...
Jeremy Balfour MSP meets our Edinburgh & Lothians services
This week Jeremy Balfour MSP came to our Midlothian Visiting Service and caught up with Chief Executive Lucy Wren and Service Managers Nikki and Sam. Jeremy heard about the ways our Midlothian and Edinburgh Visiting Services support people in his constituency. Both...
Gillian MacKay, MSP visits Carr Gomm’s Falkirk Service
Last week, Carr Gomm's Falkirk Service was delighted to welcome Gillian MacKay, MSP, to their office. Gillian met with Carr Gomm staff, including CEO Lucy Wren, Operations Manager Mavis Kelly and Senior Operations Manager Paul Marshall, to discuss the work Carr Gomm...
Welcoming Carol Mochan MSP to our Borders Service
We were delighted to welcome Carol Mochan MSP to visit our staff in the Borders on the 21st August. Carol came along to hear about the impact Carr Gomm has had in supporting people to live their best possible life in the Borders and across Scotland. She was joined by...
Michael Matheson MSP visits Carr Gomm’s Falkirk Service.
Carr Gomm’s Falkirk Service receives a visit from Michael Matheson, MSP. Michael Matheson MSP, Cabinet Secretary for NHS Recovery, Health and Social Care, took the chance to visit Carr Gomm to speak to those receiving support and to discuss the future of social care...
Supporting the 4 Steps to Fair Work Campaign
As a member of CCPS, we fully back this campaign calling for the Scottish Government to step up and commit to Fair Work for social care staff in Scotland. On 29th June, the Coalition of Care Providers Scotland launched their 4 Steps to Fair Work Campaign. This...
Influencing the National Care Service
Deputy Chief Executive, Andrew Thomson, gives a breakdown of how the National Care Service came about, what it’s trying to achieve and how Carr Gomm is getting involved to ensure that the voices and aspirations of the people we support are at heart of changes in...
Minister hears about Self-Directed Support in Highland
Minister Kevin Stewart visited North Kessock to learn about the progress of the Self-Directed Support (SDS) Strategy for Highland.
Carr Gomm’s response to the National Care Service (Scotland) Bill
Carr Gomm’s response to the National Care Service (Scotland) Bill